Comfort in the Night
by Raven Ki-Lin
Summary: One shot. A few months after the eclipse, DG disturbs the palace during the night.


**Comfort in the Night**

**Characters/Pairings:** DG/Cain  
**Rating:** K  
** Summary:** One shot. A few months after the eclipse, DG disturbs the palace during the night.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own anything, anyone or anyplace.

The pounding made Wyatt Cain want to get up and pound something … or someone. He looked out the window and saw … nothing. It was pitch black. He groaned and set up on the side of his bed.

The pounding came again.

"What?" he growled in his most intimidating rasp as he jerked the door open.

A palace steward stood in the hallway.

"Mr. Cain, The Queen requests your presence immediately."

Cain blinked. "The … queen? Has the third moon even risen?"

The steward looked uncomfortable. He knew what everyone was saying about this man and the Queen's youngest daughter. He'd seen some of it himself. Like most the staff, the steward had fallen hopelessly in love with the little princess of the O.Z. He understood that her present circumstances required this Tin Man tonight. He reached out and touched Cain's arm.

"Princess DG is in considerable distress, sir. The Queen is in the Princess' suite. You should hurry," he added as he moved away.

Cain pulled on his pants, grabbed a shirt and tucked his gun into his waistband. He fastened buttons as he moved down the hallway, careful not to slip on the marble floor as he hurried in his stocking feet. As he approached DG's suite, he slipped the gun into his hand. He found the suite door standing open and no guards on duty. A tight fist clinched around his heart. He entered the suite but relaxed when he saw that the guards were standing just outside the bedroom door, looking at the inner chamber. He pushed past them and stopped at what he saw.

DG was curled into a tight ball on her bed. She was sobbing into a pillow she had hugged to her chest, her face buried in the soft material. The Queen was sitting on the bed, trying to console the Princess. Ahamo looked up from his pacing as Cain entered. The Tin Man quickly took in the situation and moved to the far side of the bed, the side DG was facing.

"DG," he spoke her name as he placed the gun on the bedside stand.

When she heard his voice, her sobs hesitated as if she were trying to listen. As he reached out to touch her arm, she raised her face from the pillow.

"Cain!" Her voice was a raspy croak.

DG launched herself at Cain. Lavender rose from the bed and stood beside Ahamo. They watched as Cain shifted himself and DG so they were lying out on the bed. He was leaning against the headboard, a couple of pillows behind him, DG clinging to him as if afraid he would disappear. Cain glanced up and looked at one of the guards.

"Turn out the lights in this room, leave the connecting door open so we get some light from the sitting room, take up your posts in the hallway."

The man gave a half-salute and did as Cain instructed. A moment later, the two couples were left in a semi-dark room. DG's sobs had subsided but her breath was coming in ragged gasps.

"Hey, Kiddo, this isn't just dreaming about ol' Zipperhead. What happened?" Cain asked, his voice rumbling in his chest.

DG nuzzled against the comforting vibration. Ahamo led Lavender to a chaise lounge at the side of the room. The Royal Couple sat down and watched their daughter with her Tin Man.

DG was starting to tremble. Cain grabbed a blanket and pulled it around her shoulders, her hands made snatching motions at his shirt as he shifted beside her. When they had settled down again, her breathing seemed to relax a little bit.

"What happened today?" he asked.

"I couldn't do it," she whispered. "I tried so hard. But I couldn't concentrate."

"On what, Darlin'?"

"Tutor was trying to make me shift. He was angry because I couldn't concentrate."

Cain's lips curled at the corners. "Fighting with dog-man doesn't usually end up with you being a puddle of nerves," he teased gently.

Her sobs threatened again. "I … I … couldn't get out!"

Cain's face lost all touch of humor. He closed his eyes and gave a silent prayer that she wouldn't answer the question he was about to ask the way he knew she would.

"Couldn't get out of what?" His calm, gentle question masked the trepidation he was feeling.

Silence.

"Couldn't get out of what, DG?"

There were a loud hiccupping sob as she buried her face against his chest.

"He told me if I couldn't concentrate in the room, he'd put me where I could. He … he …"

She started trembling again and her arm went around Cain's waist, hugging herself tighter against him.

"He locked me in the closet," the answer came in a soft breath.

She began to cry again in earnest.

"I kept telling him to let me out. He just kept yelling for me to concentrate." She sat up and looked at Cain, her eyes were filled with terror. "I couldn't do it! I couldn't think!"

Cain cupped her face between his large hands. His thumbs stroked her cheeks.

"What happened?" he prodded.

"Glitch finally heard me and …" She hiccupped again. "He let me out," she finished with a whisper.

Cain pulled her back into a tight embrace, crushing her tenderly against his chest. He remembered the terror in her voice the first time she had talked about being locked in the green sarcophagus during their search for the emerald. He kissed the top of her head. His eyes found those of Ahamo who was looking almost as murderous as Cain felt.

"He will never do that to you again, DG," Cain pledged.

Ahamo nodded in agreement. Cain laid his cheek against her head.

"Did you hear me, Princess? I swear to you, he'll never torment you again."

He felt her nod her head. His hands stroked her tenderly as her tears subsided again. When she had stopped crying this time, Cain sat them both up. He tried to reach a glass of water on the opposite side of the bed.

Immediately, Lavender surged to the table and handed the glass to him. Their eyes met. Cain's eyes softened slightly as he realized the distress the older woman was feeling. He held the glass for DG. When she finished drinking, he put the glass where he could reach it if she needed it again.

"Okay, Kid, I can't sleep like this. Let go of me."

"Don't leave!"

He kissed her temple. "What makes you think I'm ever going to leave you?"

She looked at him and gave him a shaky smile.

"But I'm not going to get a kinked neck because you decided to turn the palace upside down before final moonrise."

His pretend cranky look made her laugh softly.

"I always knew you were a wimp, Cain," she answered as she helped him reorganize the bedclothes.

Without once looking at her parents, she settled back against Cain's side. He continued to hold her and watch her. After a while, she visibly relaxed, her breathing became more level and the death grip she had on his shirt slackened. Cain looked over her head at Lavender and Ahamo.

"I'd like to stay with my daughter," Lavender said softly.

Cain gave her a half nod and settled his face against DG's hair before he, too, drifted off to sleep.

DG seemed to snuggle tighter against Cain and stretch her stiff muscles simultaneously.

"You have to teach me how you do that," Cain whispered.

She opened her eyes and looked up at him. She smiled.

"Maybe I can teach a class at the Tin Man Academy," she replied in the same hushed tone.

She tilted her face toward him. Instead of leaning in for a kiss, Cain's eyes flicked behind her. Her eyes asked a question and he repeated the move. With a puzzled frown, she rolled over enough to look over her shoulder. Her head snapped back to stare at him slack jawed. She had seen her mother asleep on her chaise lounge and Ahamo sleeping on the carpet beside the chair. DG sat up slowly, leaving her hip still pressed against Cain's.

"What the hell's going on?" Her voice had a gravely texture she hadn't noticed when she was whispering with Cain.

With a smile he handed her the glass of water. She swallowed what was left, blinked her eyes as if trying to focus and looked back over at her parents.

"This is weird, waking up in bed with a hunky Tin Man and finding my parents watching us."

Cain chuckled as he got rid of the glass and set up beside her.

"That's what you get for turning the palace upside down in the middle of the night."

She smiled at his teasing tone.

He sobered. "Why didn't you tell me about the pooch?"

Her eyes slid away from his.

"I did. I remember telling you last night."

"DG."

His command brooked no arguing and she raised her eyes to look into his again.

"Why didn't you tell me when it happened?" he asked, his tone insisting on an answer.

She patted his chest a few times before she said softly, "I wasn't sure if you were licensed to shoot tutors inside the palace walls."

"How long has he been abusing his position?"

DG jumped at the sound of her mother's voice. DG turned to look at Lavender. The move made her break contact with Cain. Without thought, Cain moved his hand to her back to re-establish the connection. Ahamo followed the gesture and smiled to himself.

"DG?" the Queen asked gently.

DG shrugged, "It's just the way he is. He's always telling me to do something. And when I ask how he just stands over me hammering 'concentrate' and 'let the light flow' until I force my magic to do … something … just to shut him up."

She leaned back against Cain. His free arm came around her waist and she placed her hands on his forearm.

"You said he wouldn't …" her voice trailed off sounding small and hurt again.

Cain's other arm came around her and he hugged her. He looked into Lavender's eyes.

"He won't be teaching you any more," Cain said evenly.

The Queen nodded. She touched DG's face and her daughter turned to look at her.

"I did not know he was not training you correctly. I'll find someone who can help you develop your magic properly. We will … retire Tutor – away from Court."

DG smiled and released a sigh of relief.

"I'm going back to my room," Cain stated, releasing DG and standing up to stretch.

DG looked up at him and he could see disappointment in her eyes. He gave her the fake glare that told her he was trying to resist her. She smiled at him, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

"I'll tell the steward to bring first meal in here." He looked at the Royal Couple. "For four?"

Ahamo and Lavender had gone to their suite to clean up. Walking back to DG's suite, they saw Cain exchange words with DG's guards and then go into the suite.

"At least we aren't going to have to worry about finding suitors for our youngest daughter," Lavender commented.

Ahamo laughed. "And judging by the look in his eyes when he thinks something is wrong with her, he'll take care of getting rid of any unwanted ones as well."

The two were chuckling as they joined Cain and DG for first meal.


End file.
